In rain gutter structures, ferrules have been provided for the mounting spikes of the gutter. Gutters are in the form of troughs having vertically extending inside and outside walls connected by a bottom wall. Rain coming off a roof overhanging the gutter is discharged into the trough for horizontal travel to a vertically extending downspout for deposit of the water onto the ground.
The gutters may be made of galvanized metal, aluminum, plastic or other material. Gutters are mounted on a vertical side wall of the structure by spikes at spaced intervals along the length of the gutter. Each spike passes through the outside wall of the gutter, across the trough and through the gutter inside wall. The spike is hammered into the building or other structure that has the gutter.
Each spike has an enlarged head. The objective is to drive the spike until the head abuts against the outside of the gutter wall, but not beyond such point. If the installer is unskilled, the spike may be driven too far which will result in the gutter becoming dented.
Commonly a ferrule is provided through which an associated spike passes. The length of the ferrule used is such that it traverses the space between the inside and outside walls of the gutter. Conventionally, gutters come in widths of four inches or five inches. The ferrule length is thus four inches or five inches to span the space between the walls of the gutter.
Gutter ferrules have been made of sheet metal, galvanized and various plastic materials. Each ferrule assists in limiting the penetration of its associated spike into the structure wall. But if the spike is hit too hard by a hammer, the ferrule may become bent or driven into one or both of the walls of the gutter. Damage to the gutter may occur.